[gdaddy]

The Duggers are not normal. That is why they have a TV show. It is not normal to have eighteen kids. I really could care less about them, but it does contribute to the stereotype that everyone here has a lot of kids are fundamentalist christians etc. etc. I did watch one episode. They did not seem as odd as I thought they would be...still odd though.

[Cabe09]

I think they seem like a very nice family. Yes, I guess having 18 kids is not normal, but no matter how many kids they had or what their religion, there would always be someone to disagree with them. My husband and I have no kids, there are probably a lot of people who think we aren't normal. As far as their money situation is concerned, Michelle states at the beginning of the program what their income sources are. Jim-Bob, the dad, has mentioned that they follow some type of money management program, but I can't remember the name of it. There are some people who could make $2M a year, make their own soap, etc. and STILL not have any money. It's called money management, ans they seem to do a good job of it.

[nmnita]

Are they normal?
They are an interesting family
a good family
a conservative family

a normal family? NO

Nita

[bobbbbie]

Actually there are a few religious backgrounds that believe the way the Duggars do. One of the is seventh day adventist,mormons, and others. Guess what ?? There are more with that background in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah than there is in Arkansas. Let people believe in their beliefs and live their lives. That is why we live in America. They do not make our state look bad. They make us a conversation piece.

[Donna7]

Originally Posted by bobbbbie

Actually there are a few religious backgrounds that believe the way the Duggars do. One of the is seventh day adventist,mormons, and others. Guess what ?? There are more with that background in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah than there is in Arkansas. Let people believe in their beliefs and live their lives. That is why we live in America. They do not make our state look bad. They make us a conversation piece.

Okay, let me say this straight out: The Seventh Day Adventists do NOT believe the way that the Duggars do!!! I WAS a Seventh Day adventist for the first 23 years of my life; I think I should know!

The Duggars are what's called "Quiverfull". As a Seventh Day Adventist, I had never, ever, ever heard of the word "Quiverfull" as it pertains to this sort of lifestyle and belief set. If you don't know what that is, then look it up at QuiverFull .com. They don't believe in any sort of birth control WHATSOEVER, including natural family planning. They also subscribe to the teachings of Bill Gothard. You can look that up as well. Bill Gothard's beliefs include NO adoption of children. I'm sorry that the little TLC programs do not mention these two things. I bet also that they don't mention the Duggars fondness for "blanket training" in which you smack a baby/toddler lightly to make him/her stay on a blanket, thus teaching "boundaries" or the fact that Michelle Duggar stops breastfeeding at age 6 months in order to regain her fertility again and they can start working on the next little Duggar with a name that begins with a "J"!

While I'm a mother of a family, ages 24 to age 7, I don't make my kids work like a slave factory around here. I don't make our 9 year-old do the laundry for 19-20 people. I don't have one little girl do the cooking and cleaning for 19-20 people. I don't turn over newborns at age 6 months over to the older kids and let them take responsibility for taking care of them while I go have sex with my husband and create yet another Duggar. My God, the baby is barely born, they're still in the hospital, and they're already saying "We'll be glad to accept any more "blessings" that is bestowed to us". Well, no kidding, Sherlock. Each baby is another cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching. The older kids seem to be the ones strapped with the raising of each of the younger ones. It's great to be an older brother or sister. it's NOT great to be the surrogate parent at age 11 or 12.

Overall, the Duggars seem like good parents with good intentions except for one critical thing: the fact that their children don't really get to experience a childhood free of slavery/drudgery every single day. Has anyone got a clue of what it's like to cook, clean for an army every single day? If she would be in charge of this with just minimal help from the kids, she would have keeled over by now or done a Loreena Bobbit on Jim-Bob. Mrs. Duggar does NOT do this herself. No woman and no man can do this alone. The sheer work cleaning, cooking, and trying to homeschool that many children would send a person to the mental ward of the local hospital. This is not even funny; this is the truth. The children are the ones that each have a jurisdiction in the house, things to take care of like an adult parent would. Of course, when you have the bible backing up everything that Jim-Bob does, then it all greases that wheel even more and makes it run smooth.

Yes, they are allowed to do what they want. They have their own money-making ventures as well as commercial endorsements. However, I don't put these Quiverfull "Supastars" on a pedestool like many do. I think that anyone who has a larger family or simply has a family (kids) - knows what it's like to raise even a few children, much less 18 or more.

[DC at the Ridge]

Originally Posted by Donna7

Okay, let me say this straight out: The Seventh Day Adventists do NOT believe the way that the Duggars do!!! I WAS a Seventh Day adventist for the first 23 years of my life; I think I should know!

The Duggars are what's called "Quiverfull". As a Seventh Day Adventist, I had never, ever, ever heard of the word "Quiverfull" as it pertains to this sort of lifestyle and belief set. If you don't know what that is, then look it up at QuiverFull .com. They don't believe in any sort of birth control WHATSOEVER, including natural family planning. They also subscribe to the teachings of Bill Gothard. You can look that up as well. Bill Gothard's beliefs include NO adoption of children. I'm sorry that the little TLC programs do not mention these two things. I bet also that they don't mention the Duggars fondness for "blanket training" in which you smack a baby/toddler lightly to make him/her stay on a blanket, thus teaching "boundaries" or the fact that Michelle Duggar stops breastfeeding at age 6 months in order to regain her fertility again and they can start working on the next little Duggar with a name that begins with a "J"!

While I'm a mother of a family, ages 24 to age 7, I don't make my kids work like a slave factory around here. I don't make our 9 year-old do the laundry for 19-20 people. I don't have one little girl do the cooking and cleaning for 19-20 people. I don't turn over newborns at age 6 months over to the older kids and let them take responsibility for taking care of them while I go have sex with my husband and create yet another Duggar. My God, the baby is barely born, they're still in the hospital, and they're already saying "We'll be glad to accept any more "blessings" that is bestowed to us". Well, no kidding, Sherlock. Each baby is another cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching. The older kids seem to be the ones strapped with the raising of each of the younger ones. It's great to be an older brother or sister. it's NOT great to be the surrogate parent at age 11 or 12.

Overall, the Duggars seem like good parents with good intentions except for one critical thing: the fact that their children don't really get to experience a childhood free of slavery/drudgery every single day. Has anyone got a clue of what it's like to cook, clean for an army every single day? If she would be in charge of this with just minimal help from the kids, she would have keeled over by now or done a Loreena Bobbit on Jim-Bob. Mrs. Duggar does NOT do this herself. No woman and no man can do this alone. The sheer work cleaning, cooking, and trying to homeschool that many children would send a person to the mental ward of the local hospital. This is not even funny; this is the truth. The children are the ones that each have a jurisdiction in the house, things to take care of like an adult parent would. Of course, when you have the bible backing up everything that Jim-Bob does, then it all greases that wheel even more and makes it run smooth.

Yes, they are allowed to do what they want. They have their own money-making ventures as well as commercial endorsements. However, I don't put these Quiverfull "Supastars" on a pedestool like many do. I think that anyone who has a larger family or simply has a family (kids) - knows what it's like to raise even a few children, much less 18 or more.

That's your opinion and of course you have every right to it. But I don't think those children have lives of slavery/drudgery. They have chores and responsibilities. They live lives that are strictly structured, but many children thrive in those conditions. These children have a profound sense of family. That is not a bad thing. I in no way advocate the Duggar lifestyle, but it is their choice, and it has both positives and negatives to it. And the cha-ching, cha-ching with every new baby is really a misrepresentation. The media attention might have some short-term benefits financially, but long-term there are tremendous costs to raising such a large family. They do it without state assistance, and they do it cheerfully and well.

[Luvvarkansas]

Donna7:

Oh good grief....what's wrong with kids having responsibilities in their household? Teaches them to be responsible when they're grown.....as opposed to the majority of children today, who have experienced "a childhood free of slavery/drudgery" and are so spoiled and lazy and have such a sense of entitlement when they grow up that they are a drain on society instead of a positive contributor. Kids do not just magically turn responsible when they hit 18. They learn it over a lifetime.

Now, I don't know anything about "Quiverfull" or any of the rest of that....I've never even seen the show, so don't think by my comments that I'm taking up for everything these people do. But it sure never hurt a kid to have responsibilities and do their share to help in the running of their home as they grow up. And the older ones helping with the younger ones teaches them unselfishness. God knows that's a concept that the majority of kids growing up today never learn. Today's kids? It's all about them!

[gimme it]

Donna 7- I agree with you wholeheartedly. I don't think the children look particularly happy. The oldest brother is getting married and he wasn't even allowed to kiss his fiance until after they were married. They have so many restrictions on them. It seems that JimBob is the only one with the freedom in that family. I agree that kids need chores, but these kids, especially the girls are doing way more than should be doing.

[bobbbbie]

What I was referring to was the fact that certain religions believe in populating the earth and that that is one of our responsibilities. So be it that you do not agree with me. The point I was making is that too many people are critical of how others are when they should worry about themselves. If you do not realize it yet seventh day, catholic, mormons, and others believe the way I said and I was not referring to their actions but the amount of children.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by gimme it

Donna 7- I agree with you wholeheartedly. I don't think the children look particularly happy. The oldest brother is getting married and he wasn't even allowed to kiss his fiance until after they were married. They have so many restrictions on them. It seems that JimBob is the only one with the freedom in that family. I agree that kids need chores, but these kids, especially the girls are doing way more than should be doing.

and I do as well. I normally agree with DC but this time not. Yes, I think they are a good and loving family, no I do not think they are normal or average in anyway, yes, I see nothing wrong with children having responsibilities but they should have plenty of time to be kids. This means friends, not a lot of housework, (some ok) able to date who and when they want (within reason) have time for little league, scoccor, swim team whatever...I was raised in a pretty strict environmant with much younger siblings. By the time I was about 12 I was responsible for cleaning the bathroom and the kitchen as well as my room on Saturday. I helped with dishes every evening, but I always had plenty of time to spend with friends, did not have to baby sit until I was older, I did help with the laundry but all in all I was a kid. This carried through all of high school.

I also have never known a 7 day adventist family that believes in having as many kids as God will send to you.

Kids can thrive with a lot of structure, but there is a limit.

As I have said before, these are good people with good intentions, so are the Amish, but they do not lead a truely normal American life either..

Nita